Anton Giovanetto, innkeeper at the Lyndon House Bed & Breakfast, has detected a pattern over the past 24 years: guests often return from a busy day of sightseeing feeling too tired to go out in search of a good meal. Many have expressed that if a good dinner were offered onsite, they would happily stay and dine there.
“When guests travel, the last thing they really want to do is hunt down a nice restaurant,” Giovanetto said. “And if they’re on a property that offers fine dining, it’s a no-brainer.”
Giovanetto
After hosting occasional pop-up meals for the public over the past year and a half, Giovanetto decided that 2024 was the year to make a real go of it. He introduced Chez Lyndon, a restaurant that serves as an expansion of the bed and breakfast. The Lyndon House Bed & Breakfast is located on North Broadway in a circa 1883 building.
Chef Samantha Woodruff is at the helm of this venture, which officially debuted with an Easter brunch. The restaurant will be open for dinner service from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, offering a three-course, prix fixe meal with optional wine pairings. Pop-up events will also remain part of the plan, featuring different holiday and food and beverage themes, including Mother’s Day, a high tea event, a “farm to feast” three-course meal in early June in partnership with local farmers’ markets and a guest chef, and a Father’s Day weekend partnership with Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co. to present a food, beer, and Town Branch Bourbon pairing event.
Giovanetto said as a full-service restaurant, Chez Lyndon includes a full-service bar, The Lyndon Pub, for all to enjoy. It can also be a gathering spot for business lunches, celebrations, retreats, and more. Breakfast will also be served here from 8 to 11 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.
Chez Lyndon, a new restaurant at Lyndon House Bed & Breakfast on North Broadway, is open for breakfast from 8-11 a.m. and offers a three-course, prix-fixe dinner service from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays.
While the menu will vary seasonally, Giovanetto can attest to Woodruff’s talents in the kitchen and described a few of his favorites, including a sausage biscuit gravy made with Italian sausage. She also makes a bourbon cream French toast with fresh berries that’s an early morning hit, and on the dinner side, recent offerings include shrimp and scallops in lemon beurre blanc sauce and lemon pepper chicken breast with roasted Brussels sprouts and steamed rice. For dessert, Woodruff has been known to whip up bread pudding with salted caramel bourbon cream.
“She’s trying to include as much Kentucky cuisine as possible, but she’s also trained as a continental chef,” Giovanetto said.
Giovanetto emphasized the B&B’s commitment to using as many local products in their dishes and beverages as they can, including serving Nate’s Coffee, Weisenberger Mill grits, and Boone Creek Creamery cheeses.
“One of the best ways to support the local economy is supporting local products,” he said.